We are roughly at the halfway point of the European women’s 2025-26 club season, which means it’s deep enough into the campaign that we can see the storylines that are evolving, the title contenders who have emerged, and the players who have taken center stage.
The new calendar year marks the start of the home stretch in competitions like England’s Women’s Super League, Spain’s Liga F and Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga, but which players have been the best in each of Europe’s top five leagues so far?
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Bühl has been one of the best players in the world — not just Germany — this season. The 25-year-old Germany winger has been the biggest beneficiary of José Barcala’s new system at Bayern and has been a creative behemoth, stepping up in decisive moments for the Bavarian club.
The two-footed winger registered 19 assists by December in all competitions. She leads the charts for assists in the Frauen-Bundesliga (13) and the UEFA Women’s Champions League (8) this season. In fact, she has matched her best-ever tally for assists in the Frauen-Bundesliga, and we are only midway through the season.
No player has created more chances in the league (63) than the former Freiburg player. Beyond the volume, it is the variety in her chance creation that is difficult for the opposition to deal with. She has crosses, incisive line-breaking passes and cutbacks all in her repertoire and is the assigned set-piece taker for her side.
Bühl is relentless in driving into the opposition box with the ball at her feet; no player has more progressive carries (70) and carries into the penalty box (43) than her this season. Her tireless engine to engage her markers for an entire game makes her a nightmare to contain for any full back.
Honorable mention: Hoffenheim’s Selina Cerci has been the other standout player in the Frauen-Bundesliga so far, with 14 goal contributions, and she has been involved in 50% of their goals this season. However, Bühl’s astronomical numbers make her the league’s standout.
Under manager Andrée Jeglertz, City are increasingly looking like WSL title contenders — a charge spearheaded by their star striker Shaw. The Jamaica international has scored 12 goals this season, the most of any player in the WSL, and has already matched her goal tally from last term in just 11 games. In fact, she has scored more than twice as many goals as the league’s next top scorer (Kirsty Hanson of Aston Villa, 6), recording a goal contribution in nine of her 12 games this season, including each of the past five.
Shaw is most threatening inside the opposition penalty box, which enables her to generate high-quality chances, and has registered 114 touches inside the area — the most by any player. She has also accrued an expected goal (xG) tally of 12.2, which is greater than five entire teams in the WSL this season.
She is a destructive ball carrier, capable of running through opposition defenses like a wrecking ball, and bounces off challenges with the ball at her feet, so is incredibly difficult to deal with in physical duels. Only Arsenal pair Olivia Smith (28) and Caitlin Foord (24) have more carries into the penalty box than her (21). While she also ranks in the top three for attempted and successful take-ons (44 and 21 respectively).
Honorable mention: No-one. The 28-year-old has been peerless this season in the WSL, being the only player to hit 10-plus goal contributions in the league. And her four goals against Aston Villa last month saw her become the WSL’s all-time hat trick leader.
The first-ever women’s Kopa Trophy winner — handed to the world’s best under-21 player — López has been sensational this season. The 19-year-old has elevated her level and has stepped up in the absence of the reigning three-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí.
López has been the difference-maker every time she gets on the ball and leads the league in multiple categories. She is one of only two players in Liga F to register five or more goals and assists this season (Atlético Madrid’s Luany is the other), and has accrued the second-highest non-penalty xG (6.6).
The Spain international has always been talented, but has now added consistency in the final third. Barça often look to her to unlock a defensive block with her sublime touch and perfectly weighted passes. Her tally of 77 shot-creating actions is the highest in the league, and no player has recorded more from open play than López (57).
She is one of the most exciting ball carriers around and is full of trickery in one-vs.-one situations. The threat of her purposeful carries is only amplified by her line-breaking-pass vision. She has the most progressive carries (58) and is in the top five for both take-ons attempted and completed (52 and 27, respectively), while she also ranks in the top five for most progressive passes in the league (100).
Honorable mention: Barcelona have asserted dominance as usual, recording one of their biggest winning margins this weekend: a 12-1 victory over Madrid CFF. Her teammates Ewa Pajor, Clàudia Pina and Alexia Putellas have all excelled in some departments, but the 19-year-old has been the complete package this season.
OL Lyonnes underwent a major revamp at the start of their 2025-26 campaign as the French champions appointed a new manager (former Barcelona boss Jonatan Giráldez) and signed some quality youngsters to usher in a new era at the club. But it is Dumornay who has been most key.
She is arguably one of the most influential players in the world. The 22-year-old Haiti international is excellent at shouldering the attacking responsibility and is capable of delivering game-changing goals and assists, often producing in pivotal moments due to her vision and the range of skills in her repertoire.
This season she has been handed the keys to Lyon’s attack under Giráldez, consistently showing up in the final third. The former Reims player ranks fourth for touches in the attacking third (243), despite playing just 57.6% of total available minutes this season, and only Montpellier’s Sonia Ouchene (5) has more assists than her (4).
Dumornay’s vision from open play has been exemplary and is evident in her strong creative numbers. No player has more shot-creating actions (47), while her four assists have come from an expected assist (xA) tally of 3.3, which is the highest in the league.
Honorable mention: PSG’s Romée Leuchter, who leads the league in combined goals and assists, has been a shining light for a sinking ship. However, her underlying numbers haven’t been as impressive as those of Dumornay as four of her nine goals this season have come from the penalty spot. Her ability to create chances is also heavily reliant on set pieces.
Roma have had a strange campaign this season. A subpar performance in the UWCL (as they were knocked out in the league phase) contrasts with the fact they are five points clear at the top of Serie A. However, captain Giugliano has been a constant shining light no matter the competition.
The metronomic playmaker has been used more in the final third and has consistently made her presence felt with goals and assists — only Inter Milan’s Tessa Wullaert (13) has more goal contributions than Giugliano (7), who is Roma’s top scorer and has the second-most assists.
She is known for her creativity from open play and set-piece situations. She leads the league in shot-creating actions, on volume and per 90 minutes (39, and 6.04 per 90). Her deliveries from dead-ball situations are phenomenal and the 28-year-old has also registered the most shot-creating actions in the league.
Honorable mention: While Wullaert has been integral for Inter Milan and leads the league in both goals and assists, she is overperforming her underlying numbers by a significant margin. The 32-year-old has six non-penalty goals from a non-penalty xG of just 2.7, and her six assists have come in just two games (four vs. AC Milan and two vs. Ternana).
